Madison County, Georgia
Above the national median for credit card delinquency.
Main Findings
Madison County, Georgia ranks 1,380th most distressed in the United States on the County Distress Index. The driver: 9% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.
- 1,380th of 3,144 counties on the County Distress Index — Middle fifth, 123rd in Georgia.
- 9% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due (U.S. median 5%). Credit card delinquency at the 92nd percentile nationally.
- Bankruptcy filing rate at 202 — national median 126, ranked at the 75th percentile.
- Uninsured rate at 17% — national median 8%, ranked at the 92nd percentile.
- Rent-to-income ratio at 24% — national median 21%, ranked at the 77th percentile.
Unemployment is 2%, near the national median of 4%, while credit card delinquency runs at the 92nd percentile. Jobs exist; wages don't close the gap.
Neighbors span four CDI distress fifths. The 29-point drop to Jackson County marks where the Georgia distress corridor ends.
"Madison County ranks in the middle fifth of U.S. counties. The county sits near the national center of the CDI distribution, so the domain mix carries the story."
"The CDI places this county in the middle fifth nationally. The county sits near the center of the geography distribution, so the domain mix matters more than the composite alone."
The Indicators Behind Madison County's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. Madison County's value shown alongside GA's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | Madison | GA median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 73 · Rank 737 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 6% | 8% | 5% | 58th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 9% | 8% | 5% | 92nd | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 28% | 36% | 23% | 69th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 72 · Rank 674 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 28% | 36% | 23% | 69th | Urban Institute (2024) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 202 | 255 | 126 | 75th | US Courts F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 54 · Rank 1,338 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 24% | 24% | 21% | 77th | HUD FMR × Census ACS (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 15% | 19% | 18% | 32nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Labor — domain score 12 · Rank 2,727 of 3,144 | |||||
| Unemployment Share of labor force unemployed | 2% | 3% | 4% | 12th | BLS LAUS (Dec 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 58 · Rank 1,239 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 17% | 26% | 18% | 45th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 18% | 16% | 16% | 72nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 13% | 18% | 14% | 46th | Census SAIPE (2023) |
| Transfer-income dependency Share of personal income from government transfers | 25% | 30% | 27% | 41st | BEA Regional Personal Income (2023) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 17% | 13% | 8% | 92nd | Census ACS 5-yr (2023) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index is a 0–100 composite score of household financial distress, computed for all 3,144 U.S. counties. Higher scores indicate greater distress. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the CDI score is the equal-weight mean of those domain scores.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, Business Formation Statistics), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages), U.S. Courts Administrative Office (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and HUD Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2023 to 2025 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite Madison County data — in under 60 seconds.
Draft wire copy 152-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
DANIELSVILLE, Ga. — Madison County ranks 1,380th among the nation's most financially distressed counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
The composite score of 54 out of 100 places Madison in the middle fifth. Among 3,144 U.S. counties scored, 1,379 counties rank more distressed. Within Georgia, Madison ranks 123rd of 159 counties.
The index, which draws on 16 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, identifies delinquency as the primary driver in Madison. 9% of credit card accounts are 60+ days past due — above the national median of 5%.
"Madison County ranks in the middle fifth of U.S. counties. The county sits near the national center of the CDI distribution, so the domain mix carries the story," said Ross Kilburn, founder of American Default Research.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Madison County's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives Madison County's distress score?
How does Madison County compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
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